Vorador's Signet Ring
Items article |image=Item29 htm.png |caption=Vorador's Signet Ring in Blood Omen. |introduced= Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996) |appearances= Blood Omen Soul Reaver ''Soul Reaver'' comic Soul Reaver 2 Defiance ''Defiance'' comic}} Vorador's Signet Ring was a magical ring bearing one of Vorador's seals. It was given by Vorador to Kain at their first meeting, during the [[Events of Blood Omen|events of Blood Omen]], and allowed Kain to summon Vorador to his side. It first appeared in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, and has since appeared in all Legacy of Kain media, with the exception of Blood Omen 2. Profile During his quest to destroy the corrupt Circle of Nine in the Blood Omen era, Kain faced a stalemate against Malek, the unliving Guardian of the Pillar of Conflict. Ariel: "Ah, the lord returns empty-handed. Does the Sarafan elude you? Very well, go east of Malek’s Bastion. The Oracle shall give you aid." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. On advice from the Oracle of Nosgoth, Kain traveled to the Termogent Forest to seek out Malek's ancient adversary, the reclusive vampire Vorador. Kain: "What of this Vorador?" // Moebius: "Follow the glow of the Ignis Fatuus to the Termogent Forest." // Kain: "Ignis Fatuus?" // Moebius: "The Ignis Fatuus lights the path to Hell, nobleman. Your path. Time Kain. Next time..." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Kain reasoned that Vorador was probably the key to defeating the Conflict Guardian. Kain: "The black forest reigned here, its kingdom rarely invaded by those that live in the light. But it was called home by this mysterious Vorador. Legend told of a time when Vorador defeated Malek of the Sarafan. If such a man did exist, then he could perhaps be the key to defeating the Ward." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Tracking down his quarry in Vorador's Mansion, Kain was initially daunted by the elder vampire, considering his visage - "a vision of what he was becoming" - "worse than Hell". ~The dining room is dimly lit by candles. Across the length of a long, polished table sits the vampire Vorador, holding two finely crafted goblets.~ Kain: "In the bowels of that black forest I found something worse than Hell. A vision of what I was becoming..." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. However, Vorador was congenial, and "prattled on about his past", offering his account of the slaughter of the Circle he initiated in Nosgoth's early history, in response to the vampire purge which the Circle had sponsored. Kain: "Gift? ''Pah! Vorador thought my curse a blessing. That we were gods and that mortals offered their blood as sacrifice so that we could enjoy our supernatural powers. And somewhere deep inside my new self I knew he was right. That mortal dreams were prayers. Prayers to us - begging for our power. I pondered this as the decadent old fool prattled on about his past; a boorish account of how he defeated Malek of the Sarafan and took his vengeance upon the Circle of Nine for supporting the Sarafan’s holy war to exterminate us..."'' // Vorador: "After slaughtering six of the sheep I defeated their pathetic little shepherd - Malek. Since then our kind has not bothered with the cattle, except to feed. And I suggest you do the same. Meddling with the affairs of man can do us no good. Sarafan witchhunts are much too tedious to concern ourselves with. Am I understood Kain?" Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Kain initially dismissed Vorador's ideals - that vampires were gods, and humans inferior beings - but knew, deep down, that he was right. Vorador pedagogically instructed Kain not to meddle "in the affairs of man", but had grown fond of the fledgling. Concerned for Kain's safety, he gave him his Signet Ring, assuring him that "if you ever need assistance it will summon me". Vorador: "Good. Take this ring. If you ever need assistance it will summon me. Despite your youthful arrogance, you amuse me, Kain - it would be such a pity to lose you to the Abyss. Now be gone!" Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Examining it, Kain realized that it was "crafted from some strange alloy formed from broken teeth - ground down and soaked in Blood". Kain: "Turning the ring over in my hands, I realized that it was crafted from some strange alloy formed from broken teeth - ground down and soaked in blood." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Kain used the Ring only once: at Dark Eden, he summoned Vorador to battle Malek while he pursued Bane and DeJoule. ~Kain uses the ring to summon Vorador; Malek confronts his old enemy:~ // Malek: "Vengeance! Vengeance for my eternity of suffering!" // Vorador: "Whelp! As if you knew what eternity was! Grovel before your true master." // Malek: "Never! I’ll hack you from crotch to gizzard and feed what’s left of you to your brides..." // ~Kain gives pursuit to the fleeing sorcerers. A fierce battle ensues between Malek and Vorador.~ Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. By the end of his quest, with Vorador's death at the hands of Vampire hunters, the Ring was presumably useless, in practical terms. ~On a bright grassy knoll, a crowd has gathered to witness the death of the last of vampire kind. The proceedings take place on a raised scaffold, so all eyes can witness this momentous event. Vorador looks up from the guillotine once. The crowd cheers as Vorador’s head is lopped off, and held high by the executioner.~ Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. However, it retained symbolic value. Kain had fully embraced Vorador's philosophy by then: vampires were "dark gods" whose duty was "to thin the herd". Kain: "Once I embraced my powers I realized that Vorador was correct. We are gods - dark gods - and it is our duty to thin the herd." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. By the [[Events of Soul Reaver|events of Soul Reaver]], he wore the Ring on his left ear - a reminder of his old mentor. He sported it all throughout his attempts to reclaim his original destiny and restore the Pillars of Nosgoth to the vampires. Development Vorador's Signet Ring was not present in Arnold Ayala's initial drawings for Kain in Shifter and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. character concept art << Dogma5150's Blog at Wordpress.com (by Arnold Ayala) The idea to include it in that game and beyond was conceived later in development by Crystal Dynamics artist Daniel Cabuco, and approved by former series director Amy Hennig. Cabuco elaborated that "I wanted to tie Kain back into BO1 somehow and I drew his model sheet with Vorador's ring. Amy liked the idea and we moved forward with it. It beat Kain in the Chaos Armor Boxer Shorts idea". For Mr. Daniel Cabuco at the Eidos forums (by Vampira), post #37 (by KainPainter) An early Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver GlyphX render of Kain, depicting him in the Vitruvian pose, includes what appears to have been a placeholder for, or an early version of, the Signet Ring.File:Gamepro0499.jpg According to Daniel Cabuco, the Signet Ring was planned to figure into Legacy of Kain: Defiance's story and gameplay before its role was cut: "Kain did have a mission in Vorador's mansion but I think it was to meet living Vorador. We wanted to have Kain be able to summon him afterwards with the ring. Vorador seeing how powerful Kain had become would be distrustful.. And would pass that to his clan (ie Umah)". Umah´s and Vorador´s role in Defiance at DCabDesign (by Raina Audron), post #7 (by Daniel Cabuco) Notes *Vorador's Signet Ring is notably absent from Blood Omen 2, and no reference is made to it, despite Vorador's presence in the game (which takes place in the fourth timeline, allowing Vorador's resurrection to be accommodated). Towards the end of the same game, Kain engages in bitter disputes with Vorador, and expresses the opinion that "the curse of vampirism is no mark of divinity", contrary to his epiphany at the end of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Janos Audron: "Not dead, but imprisoned in this place. My blood was needed to power the device, and feed the Mass within. Starved of blood and sapped of life, I devolved into that horrible creature. The moment you poisoned the Mass, I felt my strength return. That which is divine cannot be wholly suppressed." // Kain: "Divine? Your imprisonment has damaged your mind, Janos. The curse of vampirism is no mark of divinity." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript. Ranjeet Singhal's modified post-''Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2'' Kain model, presumably intended for Legacy of Kain: The Dark Prophecy, also omits the Signet Ring. Young Kain at The Lost Worlds Nevertheless, the elder Kain of this version of history ultimately does choose to wear it in the future as in previous timelines, despite any possible revised motives. *The Signet Ring is among the most frequently-recurring notable items throughout the series, eclipsed in number of appearances only by the Soul Reaver and Moebius's Staff (both of which appear or are depicted in all five games). Gallery File:BO1-Icon-Quest-VoradorRing.png|The Signet Ring's inventory image (BO1). File:SR1-Character-Kain-ProfileFront.jpg|Concept art of Kain wearing the Signet Ring (SR1). File:SR1-Character-Kain-ProfileSide.jpg|Concept art of Kain wearing the Signet Ring (SR1). File:Arms1.jpg|Concept art of Raziel with Kain wearing the Signet Ring (SR1). File:Gamepro0499.jpg|Kain wearing a possible early iteration of the Signet Ring (SR1). Kain 3-2.jpg|Kain wearing the Signet Ring (SR1). File:Kainface.jpg|Kain wearing the Signet Ring (SR1). File:KainScowl.jpg|Kain wearing the Signet Ring (SR1). See also *Vorador *Kain References Browse Category:Blood Omen Category:Browse Category:Dark Prophecy Category:Defiance comic Category:Defiance Category:Items Category:Items/Blood Omen tokens Category:Items/Blood Omen Category:Items/Dark Prophecy Category:Items/Defiance comic Category:Items/Defiance minor items Category:Items/Defiance Category:Items/Soul Reaver 2 minor items Category:Items/Soul Reaver 2 Category:Items/Soul Reaver comic Category:Items/Soul Reaver minor items Category:Items/Soul Reaver Category:Soul Reaver 2 Category:Soul Reaver comic Category:Soul Reaver